Bill Belichick on his letter to Donald Trump: ‘My comments are not politically motivated’

New England Patriots Coach Bill Belichick addressed the elephant in the room early in his news conference Wednesday morning.

After opening with some comments about upcoming opponent Seattle, Belichick talked about the letter he wrote to Donald Trump on Monday, which was read by the then-Republican candidate for president at a New Hampshire rally the night before his stunning White House win.

"I've received a number of inquiries relative to a note that I wrote Donald on Monday," Belichick said. "Our friendship goes back many years."

"I think anybody that has spent more than five minutes with me knows I'm not a political person. My comments are not politically motivated; the friendship and loyalty to Donald. A couple of weeks ago, we had Secretary of State [John] Kerry in our locker room. He's another friend of mine. I can't imagine two people with more different political views than those two. But to me, friendship and loyalty is just about that. It's not about political or religious views.

"I write hundreds of letters and notes every month," Belichick said. "It doesn't mean I agree with every single thing that every person thinks about politics or religion or other subjects. But I have multiple friendships that are important to me and that's what that was about. So it's not about politics.”

In the letter, as read by Trump at the rally, Belichick wrote: “Congratulations on a tremendous campaign. You have dealt with an unbelievable slanted and negative media and have come out beautifully. You’ve proved to be the ultimate competitor and fighter. Your leadership is amazing. I have always had tremendous respect for you, but the toughness and perseverance you have displayed over the past year is remarkable. Hopefully tomorrow’s elections results will give the opportunity to Make America Great Again. Best wishes for great results tomorrow, Bill Belichick.”

After making his remarks about the letter on Wednesday, Belichick tried to turn focus back on the game against the Seahawks. “We have a huge game this week against a great football team, a great organization, and that's where it all is going forward,” he said. “On to Seattle."

But it took a while to persuade the reporters to move on with him. Belichick answered multiple Trump-related questions with the single word, “Seattle,” then simply refused to speak when asked another one before finally getting his wish.

charles.schilken@latimes.com

Twitter: @chewkiii